


Silence

by A Small World (Datawolf39)



Series: Little Brother [5]
Category: Numb3rs (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Colby is a good friend, Cuddles, David is a good friend, Don is a good brother, Fear, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Age Play, Playing, Shock, Toys, cuts and bruises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27461368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Datawolf39/pseuds/A%20Small%20World
Summary: Charlie arrives at the office, but all is not well
Series: Little Brother [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1259180
Comments: 24
Kudos: 28





	1. Safe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yoonjae91107](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoonjae91107/gifts).



> This request went in a different direction than anticipated, but hopefully it's still liked.

It was like he was walking in a fog. His world was grey and cold, and he couldn’t really take in anything. There was a sense of being out of his body, but still, he knew that there was a place that he was going, a place that he would feel safe, and he just had to get there. He would get there.

The door opened, and he walked inside. For an infinite moment, he stood still, he was almost safe, just a bit further, and he would be safe. Someone tried to talk to him, but he just flinched. That wasn’t who he wanted. He needed to go up, up is where safety was.

He tried to move, but the person grabbed him.

Fear consumed him, taking the place of the foggy blankness, and he clawed at the person, screaming as he struggled to be free of the person’s hold. Not safe. Not safe. Not safe.

Once he was free he backed away, looking around him to make sure no one else would get him. His breathing was labored and loud, and his vision was blurred by tears. He kept backing away, until he hit a wall. 

He slid down to the floor, weary of the other people around him. His heart was hammering, and he just wanted to be safe.

Footsteps brought him back to awareness, and filled with terror he looked up . 

Safe!

He’s up in an instant, and the next moment, he’s crossing the distance to crash into his friend. He doesn’t have words. He can’t find them, all he can manage are exhausted sobs, and clutching at the jacket of the dark suit that his friend was wearing.

~

David feels his blood run cold the moment he sees Charlie there on the floor. The man was shaking hard, and his clothing was dirty and torn. He didn’t have any shoes on, and his hair, and eyes were wild. He has no clue what’s happened to him, but it’s clear enough that it was something traumatic, and one look at Colby showed that the man had come to the same conclusion. 

He really wished that Don was here. Sure, he and Charlie had bonded, and that bond had deepened thanks to what had happened while he was sick, but he didn’t know if Charlie would respond well to him in his state. All he could do was hope though, because the last thing he wanted for was Charlie to be left there until Don could get back.

He stepped closer, and Charlie looked at him, really seeing him, and before he could do much more than blink, he had to balance himself as the mathematician crashed into him. For a moment he thought he was Little, given the way he was crying, and clutching at him, but there was something off. It was like, in any other case, Charlie would have regressed, but something was holding it at bay.

Regardless, David wrapped his arms around Charlie. He didn’t care who was watching, his friend clearly needed comfort, and he would not deny him what he needed. “Come on, let’s go upstairs,” he said gently.

Charlie looked at him, eyes wet and trusting. Then he nodded.

“David,” Colby called.

David looked over, and saw that the other was looking at the floor. It took seconds to see why. The path that Charlie had taken to him was wet with bloody footprints.

David swallowed.

“Charlie,” he said softly. “I’m going to pick you up okay?”

Charlie nodded, and David picked the man up, and headed for the elevators. When they got off, Colby headed off to get a first aid kit, and David carried Charlie to the same lounge they had used the other day.

He sat Charlie down, and then sat right next to him. Charlie curled into him as much as he could, and they stayed quiet until Colby entered the room. 

Charlie jumped, his body tensed as he gazed over as if anticipating a threat.

“It’s okay,” David said gently. “It’s just Colby, he’s your friend, remember?”

Charlie swallowed, and nodded slowly, even still he was clutching David’s jacket.

“Should we wait for Don?” Colby asked.

Charlie looked at David with a pleading look. 

“He’s on his way,” David promised. “Do you think we can clean you up a bit first? He’s already worried, and he’ll be really sad to see that you are hurt.”

Charlie blinked, like he was unaware that he had injuries, and that scared David a lot.

Colby stepped closer, and then knelt on the floor. He reached out a hand, but stopped right before touching Charlie’s leg.

Charlie watched, just waiting, but Colby didn’t move. Finally Charlie understood. He was getting a choice, and that realization helped him relax a bit. He nodded.

Colby gently removed Charlie’s ruined socks, and gazed at the bottom of the foot. The scratches were bleeding sluggishly, but it didn’t seem too bad considering. Likely; he had just scratched them up walking on rocks or gravel without shoes.

Gently, he took some of the wipes and cleaned off most of the dirt, then he dabbed at the cuts with an alcohol wipe, apologizing every time he heard a gasp or cry of pain. After a few minutes he repeated the process on the other foot.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Charlie nodded.

“Can you tell me where?”

Charlie blinked, looked at both of them, then slowly pointed at just above his stomach. He breathes rapidly as the two others work to gently remove his jacket, and t-shirt. Bruises litter his torso, and they both try not to react to a bruise clearly caused by heavy shoes. With gentle hands, Colby touches the bruises. They seem tender, but it doesn’t seem like anything is broken or cracked.

“I’ll go get an ice pack.”

Before Colby could move, the door opened and Don walked in. Don swallowed the urge to ask what happened, because it was clear that the only one able to answer would be Charlie.

“You okay, buddy?”

Charlie nodded, and gave him a shaky thumbs up.

Don blinked. Something had happened. Something bad enough to put Charlie into acute shock, and for some reason, he was pretending to be okay. It made him worried, especially considering that Don could see that his brother was on the cusp of regressing, but wouldn’t allow himself to fall into it completely. 

“I’m going to get those ice packs,” Colby said.

Don and David nodded. Charlie just blinked.

Something was really wrong here, and all three agents knew it. Charlie had clearly been in some kind of fight, and it was obvious that he was suffering from something more than cuts and bruises. There was a fragility about him, and all of them worried about what would happen when he finally broke free of the shock.


	2. Am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie tells them what happened

Charlie wasn’t talking. He wasn’t just silent about what had happened, which while unhealthy would be understandable, but he didn’t speak at all. He would communicate with writing or gestures when needed. His classes had midterms so not even that proved to be an obstacle to his silence. It was scary to see such a vibrant person so muted, but whenever anyone tried to get him to open up he would find a reason to walk away.

It had been two week since the incident. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad, but along with refusing to use his voice, Charlie also refused to regress, and Don was so far past worried that he didn’t know what to do. 

It felt like his brother was just slipping away right before his eyes, and it was terrifying. He was the big brother, the protector, and yet somehow he had failed, and now he was losing Charlie.

Then came the new case for his team. Don wanted to exclude Charlie from it, but the only reason for Charlie to come to the office was the cases, and outside of that, Charlie didn’t even want to see him. He would hide away whenever Don came to the house, and would always be busy anytime Don dropped by the college.

The case was going well, and Don had managed to get Charlie to agree to dinner. Colby and David joined them for the meal, and somehow, (David and Colby claimed it was blackmail, Don insisted it was just his persuasive personality), Don managed to talk them into paying for the take out, and that actually got a smile out of Charlie.

He didn’t eat nearly enough, but he seemed content for the first time in weeks just being where he was. Colby and David kept up constant chatter going from topics of sports to the worst stakeouts they had been a part of.

Colby had just finished a tale that contained rain, mud, falling in said mud  _ twice _ , an overly chatty partner, and their suspect being totally innocent, when Charlie pulled out the pad of paper that he had taken to carrying with him.

The three others stopped talking when they saw the words that he had written. It was shaky and messy, but legible. ‘Am I safe?’

Don swallows. There was more to that question than he was seeing. Something big, and important.

“Yeah, buddy, you’re safe.”

Charlie gazed at each of them in turn before writing another question. ‘Am I weak?’

It would be easy to make a joke or to say yes because he was physically less capable by virtue of his occupation. 

“Depends on what you mean. Mentally you’re basically a superhero, physically, maybe a bit, but a few months with some weights and training could change that.” David said.

After a moment of indecision, he wrote another question. This time it took a lot longer. What if something happened? Something that makes me feel weak?”

“Are you talking about…” Don trails off remembering that Colby was there. 

Charlie shook his head. ‘That’s vulnerable, not weak.’ He wrote.

“Should I leave?” Colby asked sensing that they were privy to a secret that he wasn’t.

Charlie shook his head. Slowly, Charlie began to write, he scribbled parts out before ripping away the page and trying again. Several minutes went by as they all waited quietly, not wanting him to hide away again. After writing enough to fill three of the pages, it was rewarded when he put the pad on the table, and slid it into the middle.

“Can we look at it?” Don asked.

Charlie refused to look up, but he nodded.

The three agents clustered around to read what was written. 

‘I was on my way here. It was nice, sunny, and I wanted to walk. I didn’t notice the person. Then it was dark and then I woke up being held down, and the they were trying to undo-’

Don hesitated as he turned the page. 

‘my belt. I fought back. They hurt me and took my shoes away. I stopped. Pretending I was too scared. There was a sound. They got distracted. Something was on the ground. It was heavy. I pushed them they hit the wall. I grabbed-’

‘heavy thing. I hit them and ran. Came here. Wanted to be safe. Day-’ a large scribble marred the page there, ‘David and Colby made me feel safe. Too scared to talk. Got stuck. Wanna relax. Wanna be-’ another large scribble whatever words had been written there. 

Charlie looked so small, sitting there, it was as though he was waiting for them to make fun of what he had gone through. As though he thought they would tell him to man up and forget about it. As though he believed that they would blame him for the trauma he had endured.

Don felt like he was going to be sick. His brother had kept that all inside for so long and it had made him so scared, that he was afraid to give in to his vulnerable Little side. No wonder he wouldn’t regress. Anger at the person that had hurt his brother flared in him, and it took everything he had to calm down. He couldn’t show that anger, not now because Charlie would surely think it was aimed at him, and he couldn’t put his brother through that.

A quick look at the other two showed that they were also sickened at the revelation that the assault had nearly been far more traumatic, and the images of what might have been were surely playing in their minds. It was also clear that they were angered as well, and doing an admirable job of containing it.

Don took a breath, and then another. Waiting until he could speak without his emotions showing through. “Let’s go home buddy.”

Charlie glanced up before pointing at Don.

Don nodded. “My house, I think it’s time that you relaxed and,” here he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Tessa, and Dray have missed you.”

Charlie startled at that, and to Don’s relief, he seemed close to regressing. 

With a shaking hand, he pointed first at David, and then after a moment of hesitation at Colby.

“You want them to come too?” Don guessed.

Charlie nodded.

Don looked at the two agents needing them to agree.

“We’ll follow you,” David said.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Together the four men left the office.


	3. Safe to Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie finally gives in to being Little.

“So, what's going on with Charlie?” Colby asked once he and David were in the car.

David sighed as he buckled his seatbelt, and started the car. “It’s really not my secret to tell,” he said.

“Charlie asked me to come, so clearly he’s fine with me knowing about whatever it is. I just want to know what I’m walking into. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“You’re right,” David said. “Do you remember when Charlie was sick?”

“Like I could forget that.” Colby scoffed, shaking his head. He had been terrified, one second Charlie had been going on, and on about some mathematical stuff that he was happy to finally have a use for, and the next he was on the ground passed out. 

“Yeah, well he wanted me to stay with him after I carried him to the lounge, and I couldn’t refuse.”

“I always knew you were an old softie.”

David was grateful they were at a stoplight, because it presented the perfect chance to hit Colby with a smack to the backside of his head.

“Okay, okay, you’re tough as a mountain,” Colby grumbled, rubbing his head as though he was actually hurt.

David rolled his eyes, he hadn’t hit him that hard. “Anyway, I found out that Charlie regresses as a way to relax and recharge, and that when he is like that, Don is the one that takes care of him.”

“Regress?”

“Basically, he becomes a kid. Judging from the way he acts I’d say an age comparable to an advanced toddler, and it genuinely makes him happy, and it does something to Don too. When he takes care of Charlie, he’s just different, it’s like for a second, the weight of the world is gone from him, and he’s free to just be a regular guy.”

“Is that what’s going to happen when we get to Don’s place?”

“Probably.”

“Okay, we need to make a stop then.”

David stiffened.

“David, I can’t believe you think I would knock a guy for his coping mechanism especially when he’s my friend and he’s gone through what he has on top of everything he sees because of his work,” Colby bit out.

“Sorry,” David said, remorse clear in his tone. “I should have known better. Where did you need to stop?”

Colby pointed out the window. “There.”

David smiled and turned into the lot.

~

Charlie and Don arrived and quickly made their way into Don’s apartment. Once they were inside, Don turned to Charlie. “Do you want me to help you get dressed?

Charlie nodded, and Don held back a relieved sigh. He had been afraid that the trip here would make Charlie clam up again, and that he would refuse everything.

He started with Charlie’s jacket, and then his button down shirt. He left the undershirt on for now. “Sit down, buddy.”

Charlie sat, and Don removed his shoes. He kept his eyes on Charlie’s as he reached for his belt. Charlie flinched, but otherwise didn’t move.

“Do you want to do it?” Don asked, moving his hands away .

Charlie shook his head.

“Stand up then, buddy.”

Charlie stood, and Don undid the belt, and then unfastened the button of the jeans. He made sure his brother was still alright, before pulling them down, and helping Charlie step out of them.

“Almost done, buddy. You’re doing awesome. I’m very, very proud of you.”

Charlie teared up at that, but he didn’t let the tears fall. He just looked away, and forced his breathing to stay steady.

“Do you want a pull up or a diaper?”

Charlie swallowed, and then held up two fingers.

Alright then, on to the next question. “Do you want the cloth one?”

Charlie nodded.

Don made quick work of taking off the boxers and replacing them with the bulky cloth diaper Charlie liked to wear when he felt really Little. The shell had little cartoony dragons, and then Don helped Charlie into black shirt that had a small blue bird trying to look scary, with text that read, ‘I’m a dragon.’

“Pants?” Don asked.

Charlie shook his head.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Don looked through the peephole, and saw David, and Colby standing in the hall.

He opened the door, and let them inside.

David, and Colby saw Charlie, who had moved to the couch, and curled as small as he could, and didn’t even bat an eye at his attire. 

Colby walked over to Charlie. “I bought you something.”

Charlie looks at him.

Colby reaches into the bag and pulls out a teddy bear. It was brown, very soft, and perfectly sized for a cuddle.

Charlie looked at the bear, then at Colby, and then back to the bear. In that instant, something seemed to shift, and Charlie pointed at himself.

“Yup, he’s all yours.”

Charlie timidly takes the bear, and then, he breaks. It starts with just a few tears, and then he’s outright sobbing. He hugs the bear tightly, and finally lets himself cry. He lets himself be scared. He had been attacked, and it was okay that he wasn’t okay. He was safe now. He was safe.

Soon his exhaustion catches up with him, and cuddling the bear he falls asleep.

Don, David, and Colby watched as Charlie fell apart. It was hard to watch, and hard to listen, but this was a good thing, this was necessary, so they just let him cry himself out, ready to help if he reached out to them.

“Poor guy cried himself to sleep,” Colby said sadly after about fifteen minutes.

“You guys can leave now if you want to,” Don told them, as he covered Charlie with a thin green throw blanket that was patterned with dinosaurs.

“Nah, I think I’ll stay for a while. He wanted me here, and I don’t want him to think that I left because I saw him cry.”

“Yeah, I’m staying too. I didn’t have any plans anyway.” Colby said.

Don smiled, he had known they would stay, but it still made him happy to realize just how much he could count on them . “You guys want something to drink while he naps?”

The two agents nodded, and followed Don into the kitchen.


	4. With You All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The promised fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun.

Charlie woke up disoriented. Thankfully, before he could panic too much, he remembered that he had come home with Don, and that David, and Colby had come too just because he had asked. In his arms, was the proof in the form of the bear that Colby had given him, and behind him he could hear cards being shuffled.

Charlie sat up, and rubbed his eyes. He felt better than he had in a long time. ‘Let’s go see what they are doing,’ he thought to his bear.

Bear nodded, cause it was a good idea.

Bear needed a name though, he had to be called something when was introduced to Dray and Tessa. Hmmm... maybe... Barry. Yeah, that was a really good name! Barry the bear. 

Charlie giggled quietly. That was so silly. He got up, and toddled over to the kitchen table where Donny, Day Day, and Bee were playing cards. 

“Look who’s up,” Don said, pretending like he hadn’t been watching his brother from the moment that he sat up. “How are you feeling, buddy?”

“Kay,” Charlie said with a smile.

All of them looked at him. 

Embarrassed at all the attention, Charlie clutched Barry harder, and looked at the floor.

“Did you name your new friend?” Colby asked.

Charlie glared at him. “Bee! It be mean not name him!”

“Sorry,” the man said with a slight hint of laughter. “What’s his name?”

“Barry!” Charlie said proudly holding the bear up like he was presenting Simba to the kingdom.

“That’s a wonderful name,” David said with a hard glare at Colby.

Colby turned red as he struggled not to laugh. 

“Why Bee laugh at me?” Charlie asked sadly.

The tone sobered Colby up. “You’re just too adorable, I can’t help myself.”

Charlie seemed to consider that, and smiled. “Bee is silly.”

“I’m silly huh?”

Charlie nodded cause it was true.

Colby stood up, holding his hands up, and flexing them in the universally understood way that meant someone was about to be tickled.

Charlie began to back away, with his eyes comically wide, and Colby gave chase, making sure to move at a pace that would make Charlie hurry, but not run. 

Charlie giggled as he was chased, and Colby made a point of pretending to lose sight of him once or twice, and when he finally caught him, he proceeded to tickle him.

Charlie laughed, and tried to wiggle away from the tickles. “St-oooop Bee!” he cried out breathlessly, and Colby finally relented so that the Little mathematician could catch his breath.

“Cuddles?” he asked sweetly.

Colby opened his arms, unable to refuse the request, and Charlie was quick to embrace him. It was warm and safe. 

Suddenly, Charlie found himself lifted, and he squealed delightedly. 

“David, why are you stealing my cuddle buddy?” Colby asked.

“Because I want a turn with him,” David said plainly. That said, he moved over to the couch, sat Charlie on the middle cushion, then took the one to the right of him, and turned on the television. 

“Doggy,” Charlie said happily, as he pointed to the yellow, and white, dog on the screen.

Colby got up off the floor, and settled on the left side of Charlie.

“Donny come watch wif us?”

Don came over with a sippy cup of juice and a small bowl of grapes. 

Charlie was quick to take the snack, and Don settled into the chair that was situated close to the couch, happy to see that his brother’s appetite seemed to have returned.

After a few episodes of the cartoon, it seemed time to send Charlie to bed. “Say bye to David and Colby, buddy, it’s time for you to go to bed.”

Charlie seemed disappointed, but he really was sleepy.

“Bye bye, Day,” he said, giving David a tight hug.

“Bye bye, Bee,” he said, giving Colby an equally tight hug.

Both agents bid him goodnight, and then Don took him into the room, tucked him in alongside Dray, Tessa, and Barry, and then went back out to the living room to see the other two men off.

“Guys-”

“Don’t worry, Don, we’ll look into it.” David said with a determined glint in his eyes.

Don sighed. “Thanks.”

“We’ll let you know the moment we find anything,” Colby said with a friendly clap to Don’s shoulder.

Once the guys had left, and Don locked up, he went back to his room, and changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed next to his brother.

Charlie had already begun to doze, but he woke a bit when Don laid down, and scooted closer to him. The three stuffed toys were crushed between the brothers as they lay together, and finally, more at peace than they had been for the better part of a month, they both fell asleep.


End file.
